Songs From St. Somewhere (CD) by Jimmy Buffett

Jimmy Buffett is well past the four decade mark in his career. He probably will not explore any new territory as time passes but he continues to cover the old ground well. That seems to be the case with his new album, Songs From St. Somewhere.

His releases for the past 20-30 years have in many respects been one continuous album. Sometimes the music is excellent and other times no so much, but the style and sound has remained consistent. His new album checks in at about average with no real stand-out songs but nothing terrible either.

On the negative side the melodies are not as strong as in the past. The music is stripped to basics on many of the songs and borders on being under produced. On the positive side the lyrics are well written and the songs have that mellow party flavor that has served him well in the past.

The best of the songs, and the most poignant, is “Oldest Surfer On The Beach.” It is a song about coming to terms with the aging process, which is where Buffett is in life. Other good tracks include “Earl’s Dead – Cadillac For Sale,” which is the quirky story of a dead circus performer, the ballad “Serpentine,” and the country leanings of “Useless But Important information.

Not all is well, however, as “Einstein Was A Surfer” and “I’m No Russian” are basically filler, while “I Wave Bye Bye” is a cut below.

Songs From St. Somewhere is basically an album for his fans. It is probably not a release that will expand his popularity.